WAYS TO INITIATE READING CULTURE IN CHILDREN
WAYS TO INITIATE READING CULTURE IN CHILDREN
Every parent wants his or her child to develop a good reading habit. The question then is, ”how do I get my children to develop this habit, from the home front? What am I not doing right? We bring you 12 tips to help you along in your quest for children who love to read. Continue reading…..
Bearing in mind that your job is not to teach, but to reinforce good reading habits, here are some guidelines;
1. Set aside a regular time to read to your child. As she learns to read, add ten minutes a day when she can read to you. Continue regularly until the silent reading ability is gradually established.
2. Make sure that the child is reading from books that are easy and enjoyable. This is called the “independent” level of reading. If you have any questions, ask the teacher. The purpose is not to teach skills, but to practice fluency and learn to enjoy reading.
3. Let the child choose the books, as long as they are at the “independent” level. Children sometimes try to please their parents by selecting ‘hard” books, but this is a self-defeating exercise.
4. As the child reads, listen to determine if she understands the meaning. Clues are found in the way she phrases, observes punctuation marks, or makes comments about the story.
5. Insert an occasional question that will challenge her thinking, and to which there is no right answer.” Why do you think John wanted those shoes?” “What did they take on the visit?”
6. The most common error adults make, is helping too much. If a child mispronounces a word, remain silent. Listen to the rest of the phrase or sentence to see if the mispronunciation changed the meaning. For example, if the phrase , “a little dog” is read, “a little doggy”, do leave it alone. For beginning readers, confusion of “a” and “the”, may also be ignored. If the child makes errors that change the sense of the story, wait for her to realize that meaning has been lost. You want her to monitor the meaning herself. If she continues, stop her at the end of a sentence or paragraph. Ask, “Did that make sense?” Encourage her to listen and re-read for meaning. If a word is too difficult, have her read to the end of the sentence, and try to figure out the missing word. If not, Supply it.
7. Remember, perfection is not the goal, comprehension is. Accuracy will follow if understanding leads.
8. When the story is finished, ask her to retell it briefly. Help her find only the main ideas and important parts and recall them in order. This process of synthesis is difficult but important. Encourage quality rather than quantity in retelling.
9. If you’re both interested, extend your discussion of the story. You could imagine another ending, a different main character, or a different setting. Children enjoy creative projects: acting out scenes, or even rewriting the plot from another point of view.
10. You can help your child in comprehension, using mental imagery. Show him how he can make “mental movies” of what is happening in the book. Try drawing pictures of what you each “saw” in the story. Use books without pictures or cover them up so that you can get your own ideas. Research shows that good “comprehenders”, instinctively make mental pictures when they read, and that poorer readers’ comprehension can be improved by direct instruction in this important strategy.
11. If your child resists reading to you at home, reflect on the amount of pressure in the situation. Are the sessions too long? Should you get easier books? Are you expecting perfection? Are you giving enough praise? Do you take a turn reading now and then? If a real problem seems to exist, go to the teacher or the reading specialist, with your problem.
12. Encourage habits of independent reading. Extending bedtime is still a good inducement. Turn off the TV and let the whole family read together.
In all, despite all our efforts really, children will always learn to read by, reading.
Your Child’s growing Mind, Jane M. Healey, Ph.D
WAYS TO INITIATE READING CULTURE IN CHILDREN
WAYS TO INITIATE READING CULTURE IN CHILDREN
